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COMMACK (New York), Aug 22: Second-seeded Roger Federer added another loss to his abysmal hard court season, crashing out in the second round of the 480,000-dollar ATP TD Waterhouse Cup Wednesday.
Heavy-hitter Nicolas Massu of Chile sent the 21-year-old Swiss packing, winning 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3 in two hours.
Federer, who reached a career-high of eight in the world after his victory at the Tennis Masters Series in Hamburg last May, is still clinging to the slim hope that the US Open championships, which start next Monday in New York, will get him out of the doldrums.
Earlier in the day, top seed and defending champion Tommy Haas of Germany endured a frustrating start but scraped into the third round with 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 victory over Paraguay’s Ramon Delgado.
Haas will now meet 16th-seeded Agustin Calleri of Argentina, a 6-2, 6-3 victor over American Vincent Spadea.
Sixth-seeded German Rainer Schuettler was another to fall at his first hurdle, losing 6-3, 6-2 to Brazilian Flavio Saretta.
Wednesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Second round: 1-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Ramon Delgado (Paraguay) 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; Nicolas Massu (Chile) beat 2-Roger Federer (Switzerland), 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3; Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat 8-Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) 7-6 (8-6), 7-5; Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) beat Attila Savolt (Hungary) 7-6 (9-7) — retired; Flavio Saretta (Brazil) beat 6-Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 6-3, 6-2; Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Kevin Kim (US) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; 14-Arnaud Clement (France) beat Jan Vacek (Czech Republic) 6-2, 6-3; Jan-Michael Gambill (US) beat 12-Stefan Koubek (Austria) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; 16-Agustin Calleri (Argentina) beat Vince Spadea (US) 6-2, 6-3; Mardy Fish (US) beat Irakli Labadze (Georgia) 6-4, 6-3
NEW HAVEN (Connecticut): Fourth seed Justine Henin was upset in her opening match at the New Haven Open Wednesday, while the third seeded Jelena Dokic failed even to get on court.
Henin slumped 7-5, 6-2 against Russian Anastasia Myskina, and recent Canadian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo almost followed her out in another second round battle, before edging past Russian Elena Bovina 6-4, 4-6, 7-6.
But there were wins for fifth seed Martina Hingis, who overcame Alexandra Stevenson 7-5, 6-4, and seventh seed Daniela Hantuchova, who rallied to beat Iva Majoli 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Wednesday’s results:
Second round: Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat 4-Justine Henin (Belgium) 7-6 (7-2), 6-2; 5-Martina Hingis (Switzerland) beat Alexandra Stevenson (US) 7-5, 6-4; 6-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Elena Bovina (Russia) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1); 7-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Iva Majoli (Croatia) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat Martina Sucha (Slovakia) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.—AFP/Reuters
